How Could Noah Love a God Who Killed So Many People?

(4 Minute Read. 31Aug2022)

A year and 10 days after the onset of the Flood, the flood waters had drained away and the earth had dried out sufficiently for Noah to leave the Ark (Genesis 7:11; 8:14-18).

Noah Leaving the Ark After the Flood

 
You may picture Noah leading his family out of the Ark. But some think that the Bible says Noah was the fourth person to leave the Ark.
And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him.
(Genesis 8:18 KJV)

Upon leaving the Ark, Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings to the Lord in worship.

People Drowning Outside Noah’s Ark

How could Noah worship a God who had just drowned the entire population of the world? Some of those killed were probably friends and relatives of Noah and his family.

How could Noah love and serve a God who had slain so many people? Possibly trillions of people were drowned and killed in the Flood.

Here are some thoughts to consider regarding this thorny issue.

First, the God who sent the drowning flood is the Great Creator. He made and rules the entire universe. It is His — He owns it. He has the right to do with it whatever He pleases. He is not accountable to anyone for His decisions and actions. God’s character, God’s choices, and God’s acts are the source, the standard, and the definition of what is right, what is just, and what is good!

Imagine a skilled carpenter who makes a beautiful wooden cabinet. Does he not have the right to burn it to ashes with fire?

The Apostle Paul expressed the idea in these words:
What shall we say then? There is no injustice with God, is there? May it never be! . . . Who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, “Why did you make me like this,” will it? Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory. (Romans 9:14,20-23)

Who are you, O man, to judge and condemn the Great Creator?

Second, when people raise this issue, they usually think in terms of those who were drowned in the Flood as being relatively innocent. But they were evil and wicked and deserving of the judgment of God.
Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. . . . Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:5,11-13)

The Deluge by Gustave Doré (1866)

Noah was a preacher of righteousness to his world (2 Peter 2:5). Yet no one listened to his words. No one believed him.

The Ark had room for plenty of people, but no one followed Noah into the Ark. No one repented of evil and accepted Noah’s offer of righteous living and salvation.

God’s judgment could have been averted by listening to Noah. Drowning could have been avoided by heeding Noah’s message.

A good illustration of this is the Assyrian city of Nineveh in the early 8th century BC. God’s announced mass destruction of wicked Nineveh was halted by repentance when the king of Nineveh repented upon hearing Jonah’s message. The remorseful king proclaimed:
“In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water. But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands. Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish.”
When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way, then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it. (Jonah 3:7-10)

Noah’s preaching was one final merciful call of God before the judgment of God fell upon a sin-soaked world.

Third, it was Noah‘s responsibility and duty to worship and serve his Creator — regardless of the circumstances. He appropriately offered worship and thanks to the Great Creator for salvation from the Flood.

Noah worshiped the God who IS, not a god of his own desires, conceptions, or inclinations.

Character of the God Who Slays

Often the hand-wringing over the fate of the world in Noah’s Flood overlooks the character of God who showed grace and mercy to Noah and his family. God both judges evil and shows mercy. Both are abundantly evident in the account of Noah’s Flood. God judged the evil of men and showed mercy to Noah.
Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God. (Genesis 6:8-9)

God told Noah how to build the Ark to preserve his family through the Flood. God gave Noah time to build the Ark, time to gather food, and time to load supplies and animals before unleashing the Flood.

When King David faced God’s judgment for his own sin of pride in numbering his army, David exemplified the right attitude. With fatal judgment at hand, David considered the character of the Great Creator and chose God‘s direct hand of judgment over that of man, for “His mercies are very great,” said David. (1 Chronicles 21:13)

Then, in the midst of the slaughter, David revered, respected, and worshiped Yahweh. With significant labor and expense he was active to honor the Great Creator and lift up His name — concurrent with witnessing Yahweh’s awe-inspiring fierce judgment.
(1 Chronicles 21:16-27)

God’s Orders

The Great Creator, the Ruler and Sustainer of the universe, commands men to repent, worship, and serve Him.
Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved. (Acts 16:31)

Man’s choice is either to submit to his Great Creator or to rebel against Him and suffer judgment. The world of Noah’s day chose to rebel. They were judged by God with the Flood.

May we all learn from Noah’s day and submit ourselves to a merciful Creator.

Questions to Ponder

1. How would you answer someone who says that Noah’s Flood was not fair?
2. Are you prepared to worship and honor the Great Creator amid distressing circumstances?

Share your thoughts on these questions in the comments below. It could encourage or help another reader.

For Christ and His Kingdom.
Alere Flammam Veritatis.
Soli Deo Gloria.

This is the 21st article in a series on Noah. This Noah Series will suggest answers to many of the questions believers and skeptics have about Noah, Noah’s Ark, and Noah’s Flood.
Read the prequels:
1. Think You Know Noah?
2. Did Jesus Think Noah Was Real?
3. How Long Did It Take Noah to Build the Ark?
4. Could Noah Build the Ark in 75 Years?
5. How Big Was Noah’s Ark?
6. Were Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark?
7. Could Noah Fit All the Animals on the Ark?
8. What Was Noah’s Flood Like?
9. Was Noah’s Flood Global or Local?
10. Life on Noah’s Ark
11. Were Zebras on Noah’s Ark?
12. Evidence of Noah’s Flood: Canyons
13. Evidence of Noah’s Flood: Fossils
14. Evidence of Noah’s Flood: Rock Layers
15. Evidence of Noah’s Flood: Worldwide Memories
16. Significance of Noah’s Flood
17. How Did Noah’s Kangaroos Get to Australia?
18. Replicas of Noah’s Ark
19. The Waters of Noah’s Flood
20. How Long Did Noah Live?

Read the sequel:
22. Noah’s World Before the Flood

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©William T. Pelletier, Ph.D.
“contending earnestly for the faith”
“destroying speculations against the knowledge of God”
“for the defense of the gospel”
(Jude 1:3; 2 Cor 10:5; Phil 1:16)
Wednesday August 31, 2022 A.D.

Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth. Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch. This is how you shall make it: the length of the ark three hundred cubits, its breadth fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits. You shall make a window for the ark, and finish it to a cubit from the top; and set the door of the ark in the side of it; you shall make it with lower, second, and third decks. Behold, I, even I am bringing the flood of water upon the earth, to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life, from under heaven; everything that is on the earth shall perish.
(Genesis 6:13-17)

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